Conveyance Tax - When you sell your Oahu Property

In Hawaii, it is typical based on the standard Purchase Contract released by the Hawaii Association of Realtors that the seller in a residential transaction pays the conveyance tax or "Sales" tax on that sale.  The tax rates were most recently adjusted in 2009, and have a two tiered residential tax rate depending on whether the buyer is an owner occupant or not.   The owner occupant rate is lower than the non-owner occupant rate, effectively incentivizing sellers to choose the owner occupant buyer over the investor, with all other things being equal.  There is also a progressive increase in Oahu Real Property conveyance tax rates as the sales price increases.

Here are the different conveyance tax rates currently on Oahu based on the Property Sales Price:
 
Less than $600,000                          non-owner occupant:  .0015
                                                               owner occupant:      .0010
 
$600,000 or more but less than $1,000,000        non-owner occupant:   .0025
                                                                                        owner occupant:      .0020
 
$1,000,000 or more but less than $2,000,000       non-owner occupant:   .004
                                                                                            owner occupant: .0030
 
$2,000,000 or more but less than $4,000,000      non-owner occupant:   .006
                                                                                            owner occupant: .0050
 
$4,000,000 or more but less than $6,000,000       non-owner occupant:   .0085
                                                                                            owner occupant: .0070
 
$6,000,000 or more but less than $10,000,000      non-owner occupant:   .0110
                                                                                             owner occupant: .0090
 
$10,000,000 or more                            non-owner occupant:   .0125
                                                                      owner occupant: .0100